Iron railroad-tie



W. 0. LUTZ. Iron Railroad Tie.

Patented Oct. 19, 1880-.

'INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

W. OLAY LUTZ, OF BEDFQRD, PENNSYLVANIA.

IRON RAILROAD-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,528, dated October 19, 1880.

Application filed February 21, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, W. CLAY LUTZ, of Bedford, in the county of Bedford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Iron Railroad-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of railroad cross-ties in which the material used is metal instead of wood.

The invention consists in a novel construction and improved form of the tie, and devices for fastening the rails thereto, whereby several advantages are obtained, as hereinafter particularly set forth and described.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the manner of carrying out my invention.

Figure l is a top view of aportion of a railway embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail view. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the roadway parallel with the length of the tie, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section at right angles with Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the chair. Fig. 6 is a side view of a portion of one of the ties.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The iron tie A is made with a square or flat top surface or edge, in order to present a firm bearing for the rails It, resting thereon. Said top surface or edge is provided with a notch for each rail. These notches a are shallow, and their sides are vertical, or else beveled outward, so that the rails may be raised or sprung out of them to allow the removal of a tie when required.

The foot or'base flange A of the ties is beveled along its lower side edges, Fig. 4, which construction facilitates leveling the ties by forcing more ballast under them or by removal of a portion from beneath them.

The rail 1% is secured to the tie A by means of a clip of the form shown in Fig. This clip consists of a plate, 0, provided with two ears, 0 c, bent downward so as to straddle the tie A, and perforated to receive a bolt, E, which passes through said ears and through the tie, and is fastened by a nut, 6. Midway between the ears 0 c is a lip or lug, 0 which engages with the foot-flange of the rail R and holds it firmly in-place in its seat in the notch a). \Vhen it is desired to remove one tie without disturbing the others the clips are detached from. the tie and the rails are sprung up so as to allow the tie to be withdrawn.

hen the tie is used underneath the rails of a switch the notches a are omitted, so as to allow the switch-rails to slide on said tie. In such cases the tie is provided with holes for the attachment of clips if it should be desired to use ties of the same description in other parts of the road.

When these ties are used in connection with a switch, one of them may be arranged as a head-block, with one end extending beyond the ends ot' the others, to form a bearing for a switch-lever, L. In such cases I use an improved chair consisting of two pieces or parts, Gr G The part G is provided with a notch, into which the permanent rail 1t fits nicely, and the part G has a wide notch to enable the switch-rail R to slide therein. The two parts G G2 are secured one on each side of the tie or head-block A (see Fig. 1) by means of bolts and nuts. By this construction of the chair any one of the parts may be readily replaced when desired.

Having thus described my invention,l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An iron railroad-tie having web A provided with the foot A the lower side edges of which are beveled, as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

2. The clip consisting of the plate 0, provided with the ears 0 c and lug or lugs 0 in combination with a rail and a cross-tie, and a bolt for fastening the same, substantially as herein described. W. CLAY LUTZ.

Witnesses:

WM. HARTHEL, I. M. REYNOLDS. 

